Limerick students commemorate 25th anniversary of 'momentous' Good Friday Agreement
A GROUP of Limerick secondary school students took to the city's streets this Monday "reflecting on the peace process and the Good Friday Agreement," after a former member of the US Senate delivered a speech about the 'momentous' occasion.
After George Mitchell addressed a conference in Queen's University Belfast, students from Gaelcholáiste Luimnigh distributed printed copies of his speech to members of the public on Bedford Row in Limerick city cenyte, as part of the Agreement 25 Conference, which aims to reflect on the peace process in Northern Ireland.
Narrative 4, a charity working with youth and educators to bring about positive change in the community, has partnered with The Ireland Funds and Senator George Mitchell to launch a new project, The Possible, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, which the Senator served as a primary architect.
45 students, including many from Gaelcholáiste Luimnigh, read and distributed printed copies of Senator Mitchell’s speech to members of the public in Limerick.
The Irish author Colum McCann, co-founder of Narrative 4, a global non-profit headquartered in Limerick, said, "this project is a way of honouring the legacy of our peace process, and teaching the youth of today about the necessity for dialogue.
"For the last number of weeks these young people have been learning about the Peace Process and the enormous impact it had on Ireland and beyond."
Caitriona Fottrell, President and CEO of The Ireland Funds said, "as the Good Friday Agreement reaches its 25th anniversary, there is a whole generation of young people who do not remember the Troubles or the peace process, but who have enjoyed its legacy of peace in Northern Ireland.
"We believe this project is a fantastic way of marking this important date, but also to educate young people about this important topic."
Other students to participate were St Dominic’s College in Ballyfermot, Priory Integrated College in County Down, and Malone Integrated College in Belfast.